


Cullen at Adamant

by Farashe



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:30:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3113066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farashe/pseuds/Farashe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My take on Cullen's thoughts during the assault on Adamant. My Inquisitor in this case is named Myrlana Lavellan ^_^</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cullen at Adamant

He watched her stride into the fortress assuring him that she would help the men on the walls on her way to seeking out the blood ritual. Cullen just nodded though he wanted so badly to say more, to ask her to stay by his side where he could watch over her. But he couldn’t do that. He was bound by duty to lead her army so she could deal with Corypheus. His personal feelings could not interfere with that, and she would not thank him if he allowed them to anyway.

As the battle raged on, he continued to worry. Every moment risked the Inquisitor being too late. The inquisition forces were doing well though. With the ladders cleared, they were keeping the warden forces occupied. He began to feel cautiously optimistic. This could work. They could stop the wardens from raising a demon army.

All of a sudden, that confidence vanished. A bone chilling roar split the sky and the archdemon-like dragon they had seen at Haven was diving from the clouds toward the fortress. He watched in horror as the monstrous creature clung to the skin of the fortress obviously hunting something, someone. Though he was too far away to see any specifics, he saw a confrontation on the battlements. There was a mage up there as well as many others, but he could see the lightning the mage wielded easily. It looked like the mage wore the blue and silver of the Wardens.

Cullen watched, paralyzed. There was a final flash of powerful magic and the dragon screamed in pain. The battlements began to collapse, crumbling beneath it. The smaller figures started running from the crumbling stone. But they weren’t going to be fast enough. He watched as they began to fall. He couldn’t tell who they were, and he prayed that none of them were the Inquisitor though he felt guilty asking for that one life over all others. He could pretend it was because the Inquisition and Thedas needed her too badly, as it did, but he knew it was because he needed her.

Any hope he had that she was still alive in the fortress was snuffed out as he saw a bright slash of green light split the air near the base of the fortress for a few moments then vanish. That was the light of the Breach, the light of her mark. She was gone.

\---

The forces of the Inquisition fought on. Cullen led them as best he could, but his heart wasn’t in it. His heart was screaming in agony as it broke and his mind played the vision of those figures tumbling from the battlements over and over.

At least the corrupted dragon had left. That seemed to be the only good news.

He was so caught up in his dark thoughts that it took him a moment to notice when something changed. There was a sudden quiet as fighting began to stop all over the fortress. When Cullen finally became aware of the quiet, he looked around and saw that the demons they had been fighting were gone. Something had happened. Before Cullen could begin to think of an explanation, a runner came pelting towards him.

“The Inquisitor!” the man gasped. “She did it! She came back to save us! Andraste sent her back to us again!”

Cullen stood frozen for a few moments, his whole world realigning itself. Alive? She was alive? He began to run, ignoring the people calling out to him, pushing past cheering soldiers. He had to see.

He came to a halt at the edge of a central courtyard. This was obviously where the ritual had been. Grey Wardens crowded around the center with Inquisition soldiers around the edges. Everyone was staring at a small group of people at the courtyard’s center.

It was her.

The Inquisitor stood atop a platform. Being an elf, she was not very tall certainly not taller than several of her companions. And yet, she drew the eye. Her expression was fierce as she stared at the Wardens. She was addressing them but Cullen’s mind wouldn’t understand her words. He was too overwhelmed by her survival.

He leaned against a wall. His relief washing over him like a force. He could never quite recall the details of how he marshalled the inquisition forces and left Adamant.

\---

That night as the army camped on its way back to Skyhold, Cullen found himself drawn to the edges of the crowd. The celebrating around the fires held a reverence and awe for the inquisitor that though he shared he could not quite join. His emotions were too intense for public scrutiny.

“I thought I’d be the only one hiding from the crowds tonight,” a soft voice said from the darkness.

“Myrlana,” he whispered prayerfully.

“Cullen? Is something wrong?” She came to stand in front of him and rested a hand gently on his forearm. Her wide violet eyes glowed with reflected firelight from the camp so he could see the compassion and concern in them.

He didn’t answer. His voice wouldn’t work so he just reached for her, crushing her slim body against his. Finally, he could feel that she was there, that she was real, that she was alive. Finally.

Once she recovered from surprise, she snaked her arms around him as well and burrowed her face against his chest.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Cullen finally whispered.

Myrlana pulled back a little and wormed one hand up to lay against his cheek. Cullen felt the roughness of the callouses on her hand and savored them as more proof of her realness. “I know. I’m sorry.” Her voice carried its own fear and grief. He didn’t know what exactly had happened to her in the Fade yet, but he could tell from that voice that it would add fuel to her nightmares.

He reached a hand up to lay against her cheek in turn. “Don’t be sorry. You’re here. You’re alive.” She smiled at him and laid her head against him again then sighed. It was a sigh of relief, exhaustion and also peace. He stroked her hair feeling a little peace of his own in this moment.

Soon she sighed again then slowly sagged against him, and Cullen realized she was asleep. He smiled and stooped to pick her up. He knew the soldiers would talk seeing their commander cradling their inquisitor tenderly to his chest, but he didn’t care at that moment. All he cared about was that she was there is his arms again.

**Author's Note:**

> So I really like to take scenes from stuff I love and expand on them from some other character's point of view. I don't really do the whole story just bits and pieces. My first playthrough was a lady elf warrior who fell for her handsome commander so more little bits of their relationship might pop up on this account now and again. Enjoy!


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